"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
You push me, I don't have the strength to
Resist or control you
So take me down
Take me down
You hurt me, but do I deserve this
You make me so nervous
Calm me down
Calm me down
Wake you up in the middle of the night to say,
I will never walk away again
I never gonna leave this bed
So come here and never leave this place
Perfection of your face
Slows me down
Slows me down
So fall down I need you to trust me
Go easy, don't rush me
Help me out why don't you help me out
Wake you up in the middle of the night to say,
I will never walk away again
I never gonna leave this bed
You say go
It isn't worth it and I say no
It isn't perfect so I stay and still
I'm never gonna leave this bed uh
Take it, take it all take all that I have
I'd give it all away just to get you back
And fake it, fake it I'll take what I can get
Knocking so loud, can you hear me yet?
Try to stay awake but you can't forget
Wake you up in the middle of the night to say,
I will never walk away again
I'm never gonna leave this bed
Oh, you say go
It isn't worth it and I say no
It isn't perfect so I stay and still
I'm never gonna leave this bed uh
Take it, take it all take all that I have
Take it, take it all take all that I have
Take it, take it all take all that I have
Take it, take it all take all that I have
Take it, take it all take all that I have
Take it, take it all take all that I have
Take it, take it all take all that I have
Resist or control you
So take me down
Take me down
You hurt me, but do I deserve this
You make me so nervous
Calm me down
Calm me down
Wake you up in the middle of the night to say,
I will never walk away again
I never gonna leave this bed
So come here and never leave this place
Perfection of your face
Slows me down
Slows me down
So fall down I need you to trust me
Go easy, don't rush me
Help me out why don't you help me out
Wake you up in the middle of the night to say,
I will never walk away again
I never gonna leave this bed
You say go
It isn't worth it and I say no
It isn't perfect so I stay and still
I'm never gonna leave this bed uh
Take it, take it all take all that I have
I'd give it all away just to get you back
And fake it, fake it I'll take what I can get
Knocking so loud, can you hear me yet?
Try to stay awake but you can't forget
Wake you up in the middle of the night to say,
I will never walk away again
I'm never gonna leave this bed
Oh, you say go
It isn't worth it and I say no
It isn't perfect so I stay and still
I'm never gonna leave this bed uh
Take it, take it all take all that I have
Take it, take it all take all that I have
Take it, take it all take all that I have
Take it, take it all take all that I have
Take it, take it all take all that I have
Take it, take it all take all that I have
Take it, take it all take all that I have
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
This song speaks of the emotional rollercoaster that individuals in a relationship experience and represents the desire to grow, first starting from his declaration of commitment.
He implies that she wants things this way and that way. She "pushes [him]", but he doesn't "have the strenght to resist" her. When he mentions how he can't "control" her, he means that she's stubborn and wants everything her way. She's not going to take no for an answer and she possibly throws tantrums when she can't get her way. She "hurt[s]" him when she tries and gets everything her way regardless. She also probably wants a lot of committment based on the fact that he's asking her to "trust [him]". He's reiterating to her that he'll "never walk away again". Her trust issues might stem from the fact that he either cheated [not likely] or he wanted to walk away from her due to her being too demanding as indicated by his lack of strength. He realized most likely that he took her for granted too and that he really loves her because she makes him happy. When he refers to the "bed", it means that sex wasn't just what he wanted. She won't wake up in the morning to find that the other side of the bed is empty. He won't leave like that. They experience a lot of problems because even she realizes that "it isn't working". He tells her "it isn't worth it" which ties with the idea that he took her for granted (therefore leading to his first departure), but he "stay[s] instead" because he knows that she's the one he wants now. He made the mistake of leaving her, but he must have came to the conclusion that she was what made him happy. He repeats, "take it, take it all, take all that i have" because he's showing that nothing means anything to him anymore if it meant losing her. He would give anything to remain with her. This seems like an issue in their relationship before. He probably didn't want to change or do something for her and her demands started to get too tiring, but their time apart showed him that none of those things or those changes that he opposed were good enough compared to her. He chooses her because she's his source of happiness.
I LOVE THIS SONG.
I agree with you 100%. This song hits home to me and is EXACTLY what I am going through with my guy. I have pushed him. He has left. He gave me reasons to not trust him and he tried and tried to make it work but finally is depleted by my demands/and my constant accusations. After cheating he tried to make things work but I was still insecure in our relationship. Now we are spending time apart..but I know he will be back. We have an incredible relationship beyond what has come between us in the past, and I am ready to move on from that and trust him. I know how upset he is that I hurt him by saying he doesnt care or that I dont trust him..because he is always trying to show me that I can..